Arrangement oe eixed rails as a substitute for railroad-switches



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. DAVENPORT, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

ARRANGEMENT 0F FIXED RAILS ASV A SUBSTITUTE FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,376, dated January 13, 1857.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH T. DAVENPORT, of the city of Augusta, in the county of Richmond, in the State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Safety Connection for the Purpose of Connecting the Main Track with the Sidings on Railroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in dispensing entirely with the movable switch and arranging the rails in such manner as to render it impossible for the train to enter the sidings unless the engineer wishes to do so, leaving the main track always open and free from any danger of running into a train which may be in the siding.

The rails to the main track are represented by C, O, O', O', and H, formed and arranged as shown by the drawings.

The rails to the siding are represented by the letters A, A, and II.

The rails H and H', are of suiiicient length to contain the whole train, say from two to live hundred yards or more if required.

The train to enter the siding will advance on the main track till the last car has passed the guard rail 0, 0, 0. The train will then back when the guard 0, 0, o, acting upon the wheels will cause the train to move in the direction shown by the arrows till the engine has passed the guard rail o, 0, and then advance. The guard 0, o, will cause the train to enter the siding on therails A, A, or the train may pass the siding till the last car has passed the guard rail 0, 0, and then back at Ionce into the siding, thus entirely dispensing with any movable switch of any kind or any switch tender lessening the expense to the road and adding to the safety to traveling.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The arrangement and form of the rails and guards to produce the above described connection-between the sidings and the main track on railroads and for the purpose above described.

JOSEPH T. DAVENPORT.

Witnesses A. S. DAVIS, G. GAIRDNER. 

